Brake-beam.



C. E. BAUER.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED APII.28. IBIS.

Ll, Paeemed Aug. 31, 1915.

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`CARL EDWARD BAUER, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL EOUNDRIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application led April 2S, 1915. Serial No. 24,405.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is lto provide a bra-ke beam which will be cheap and easy to make, simple in construction and strong enough to meet the requirements placed thereon.

My improved brake beam consists of the usual tension and compression members, a strut and the brake shoe holders wherein the compression member `and the strut, between the compression and tension members, are formed from one piece of metal of a standard channel section. I form the strut by bending inwardly into a substantially U-shaped loop a portion of the middle part of the channel, compressing the ends of the loop, leaving the intermediate portions separated, then twisting the separated parts sufficiently to permit the installation of the brake rod which lies lat an angle of 400 to the plane of the brake beam. The inner end of the strut, formed as above described, affords a saddle for the tension member of lthe beam which is connected in the usual manner to the compression member.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the construction of brake beams by providing an integral strut and compres sion member.

My beam is simple and cheap to make and possesses great strength.

Other objects will be apparent from the drawings and claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my brake beam showing the integral compression member and strut, and the tension member fastened in the usual manner, Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the compression and tension members and a sectional view of the twisted strut, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the strut at the aperture for the reception of the brake rod, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 3 on the line ordm, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of reinforcement for the brake rod aperture, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the twisted portion of the strut.

The drawings show a brake beam of the truss type having compression member ll and tension member 13 secured thereto in the usual manner by nuts 13a.

12 is a strut or fulcrum member integral with compression member 11.

I prefer to make the compression member 11 and the strut 12 from a standard channel by bending inwardly the middle portion of said channel into a substantially U-shaped loop and pressing together the ends of the loop, as shown at 141 and 15, the intermediate portions beingleft separated as shown at 16 and 17. rlhe squeezing together of the ends 15 forms a saddle 18 for the tension member 13. The intermediate portions 16 and 17 of strut 12 are twisted about the axis of the strut and an aperture 19 formed therethrough for the brake rod (not shown). The squeezing together of the ends 14 and15 of strut 12 brings together the inwardly bent portions 11a and 11b of the compression member 11. In order to permit the bending of the loop in the channel, the flanges of the channel have to be cut away a suitable distance to make the joints 11c and nd. y

To hold. together the abutting ends 11a and 11" of compression member 11, I provide a clamp 20, the sides of which are bent over the flanges of they compression, member 11 contiguous to the strut 12, as best shown at 20L and 20b inkFig. 6. This clamp 2O is shrunk on so that when it cools it will make a secure and tight reinforcement.

It is necessary to provide an extended bearing surface in aperture 19 for the brake rod. As the thickness of the web of the channel is insuliicient, I provide a plate 21 which is welded or otherwise secured to the central portions 16 and 17 of the strut 12 and bend over the side edges of said plate, the flanges of the channel, as shown at 21a, thus making a secure fastening. Fig. 5 shows a modified form wherein the flanges are bent back and their edges caused to meet, as shown at 22. This provides suflicient bearing surface for the aperture 19 without the use of additional material.

My improved brake beam is, therefore, composed of integral compression member and strut 11 and 12, tension member 13 passing over the inner end 18 of strut 12 for a fulcrum and fastened to the ends of member 11 by the usual nuts 13a. Brake heads, indicated at 23, areA secured to the ends of the beam in any desired l claim: u

l. In a brake beam, the. combination of a combined compression member and strut and a separate tension member, said strut being formed from a portion of the material composing the compression member which.Y

portion is bent outv of the plane of said Vcompression member, substantially as described.

2. ln a brake beam, the combination of a combined compression member' and strut formed from a commercial shape, said strut consisting of a loop bent out of the material composing the compression member, substantially as described.

3. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member', tension member and strut, said compression member and strut being formed integrally, and a clamp for holding the meeting edges of the compression member, substantially as described.

fl. in a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, the middle portion of which is bent to form a lateral loop acting as a strut, a clamp for holding the meeting edges oit the member, and a tension member united to said compression member' at its ends, substantially as described.

5. ln a brake beam of the type described,

the combination of a compression member,

a tension member and a ulcrum member for said tension member, said :tulcrum member-being formed by bending inwardly the middle portion of the compression member, the inner end of said fulcrum member adapted to serve as a saddle for said tension member, substantially as described.

6. lThe combination of a compression mem ber and strut, said strut being formed from kthe material comprising said member by bending inwardly the middle portion thereof into substantially a U shape, squeezing the ends'thereof together and spreading the intermediate portion, then twisting said intermediate portion out of the plane of the end portions, the central portion. of said twisted portions being thickened and a hole formed through said thickened portions, the abutting ends of the inturned middle portion of said compression member being provided with a locking means of substantially U section, the edges of the sides of same being bent over the flanges of said compression member contiguous to said strut, substantially as described.

7. In a brake beam ot' the class described, the combination of an integral strut and compression member, a tension member resting against said strut, and being fastened to the ends of said compression member, means for fastening said tension member to said compression member, said strut being provided with a twisted central portion, said portion being provided with an aperture therethrough, substantially as described.

S. An integral compression member and strut of angular section, said strut being formed by bending inwardly the middle portion of the material composing the compression member, the anges of said channel being cut away to permit bending, said middle portion being bent into substantially U shape, the ends of the U-shaped portion beingl squeezed, the intermediate portions being separated, the separated portion being then twisted out of the plane of the ends of the strut, and an aperture formed therethrough, the inner end of said strut adapted to provide a seat for a tension member, substantially as described.

Signed at Hammond, Indiana, this 23rd day of April, 1915.

CARL EDVARD BAUER.

Witnesses:

WVM. L. LEIMBACH, EUGENE S. COOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G. 

